1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording medium loading device for loading a recording medium with connectors of a removable hard disk or the like, more particularly to a recording medium loading device including an auto loading device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the rapid spread of broadband connection of networks, cost reduction in high performance PCs, and the use of digital still cameras and digital video cameras in every household, information such as video, music and picture data are being digitalized in wide spread scale. Information processing machines such as PCs capable of recording TV programs, television•phones accessible to the Internet are currently going through a new transition surpassing a conventional category including information equipment and electric home appliances.
Recently, in the area of AV devices, a 3.5 inch type fixed hard disk drive is being used as a recording medium for recording a large amount of information, but the technology of the 3.5 inch type fixed hard disk drive has a difficulty in responding to a rapidly increasing need for vast amounts of information.
In this regards, 2.5 inch type and 1.8 inch type removable hard disk drives (RHDD; Removable Hard Disk Drive) have been recently developed by a high-density technology.
In such a removable hard disk drive, a drive device for rotating a disk or a magnetic head for recording and playing back is built therein. Therefore, signals between a removable hard disk and an external device (recording medium loading device) for loading the removable hard disk can be generally carried out via connectors alone.
Therefore, when the removable hard disk is loaded into the recording medium loading device, a connector on the removable hard disk side needs to be connected to a connector on the recording medium loading device side. When the removable hard disk is removed, the connector on the removable hard disk side needs to be disconnected from the connector on the recording medium loading device side. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication NO. 04-47554 is an example of the related art mentioned above.
However, a magnetic recording device disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication NO. 04-47554 has problems which will be described as follows.
(1) An ejecting device for ejecting the removable hard disk to outside is incorporated in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication NO. 04-47554. However, in case that the removable hard disk needs to be inserted, users must manually operate the removable hard disk, which is cumbersome.
(2) The removable hard disk is loaded in the device via an insertion opening formed on the device side. However, when the removable hard disk is taken out, the insertion opening stays open, such that dust and foreign materials get into the device.
(3) A loading device needs to be formed to improve convenience of use, and a door needs to be formed at the insertion opening to prevent dust and foreign particle from entering the device. Here, the two needs are closely related to each other. Thus, the operation of the loading device and the opening and closing operation of the door can be interconnected. However, if the operation of the loading device and the opening and closing operation of the door are interconnected, the device becomes larger, and the assembling process becomes complicated.